Republicans, Democrats set agenda for midterm final stretch

Updated: Sep 24, 2022 / 10:07 PM CDT

FILE – People walk outside the U.S Capitol building in Washington, June 9, 2022. The biggest investment ever in the U.S. to fight climate change. A hard-fought cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors in the Medicare program. A new corporate minimum tax to ensure big businesses pay their share. And billions leftover to pay down federal deficits. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

(NewsNation) — Republicans and Democrats have laid out their midterm election plans as the fate of the U.S. House and Senate will be decided in just 45 days.

Both parties are now delivering their final pitches to voters.

Democrats have made clear abortion rights will be front and center in their campaign messaging down the stretch.

“I don’t think MAGA Republicans have a clue about the power of women, let me tell you something, they’re about to find out,” President Joe Biden said to a crowd of supporters Friday.

Biden’s comment came just hours before an Arizona judge ruled a state law from 1864 that bans nearly all abortions must go back into effect.

Biden touched on Democrats’ other major campaign themes too: protecting democracy and protecting Social Security and Medicare programs Republicans want to sunset.

House Republicans also unveiled their strategy for the final weeks, laying out an agenda they call “Commitment to America.”

While Democrats have been tightening the gap separating them from Republicans in the polls, a FiveThirtyEight average still indicates Republicans are favored to win the House by a 2-to-1 margin.

Republican House leaders have stuck to messaging around the border, crime and inflation ahead of midterms.

“We went from a secure border to no border. We went from safe streets to record crime. We went from $2 gas to $5 gas, all in 20 months,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

Republicans feel they have the upper hand on the issues of crime and policing, despite Democrats just passing legislation that will, literally, fund the police.

There are major issues Republicans have been told to avoid, however.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy deflected all questions about the multiple investigations surrounding former President Donald Trump.

“I heard Speaker Pelosi says she thinks she’s going to keep the House,” McCarthy responded to Trump questions. “I heard the DCCC say they’re going to pick up seats.”